Will-O'-The-Wisps
by BlackPetals23
Summary: There's always a beginning to a myth... *A mythical story I had to do for English*


**STH © SEGA**

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**Another story I had to write for English, only a mythical one. So, here's my myth: How Amy Rose became a Will-O'-The-Wisp.**

**Also, I advise you to listen to '**_Celtic Music – Will-O'-The-Wisps' by Brandon Fiechter on YouTube_**. I did while writing this and it really impacts how you feel on the story—at least, it for me, but then again, I was the one writing it. So, feel free to listen to that while reading, don't worry, it's just music, no singing! :D**

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**Enjoy!**

**One-Shot:**

**Will-O'-The-Wisps**

"Long ago, in the ancient lands of Ireland, a small hedgehog came out to play.

Her pinks quills bounced with every jump and skip she made. Her emerald eyes glowed brightly even on the saddest of days. Her smile radiated off others.

Her brothers were much too rough in their play. So, the little hedgehog known as Amy Rose went off to play on the edge of the woods her family lived by.

With bare feet hitting the ground, the girl, no more than eight-years-old, ran to the edge of the woods. There, she saw another child. His fur was as black as night and his eyes were as red as blood. The quills he sported were shot up and angled.

Gasping when he saw her, he vanished into the trees.

"Wait!" Amy cried out in a shrill voice. "Come back!"

But the little boy was gone—as if he were never there.

Curious and determined to find the boy, Amy ventured into the woods.

Her brothers lacked to see that her presence was no more but an imagination. They hadn't bothered to pay attention to their little sister, for she normally sat on the porch and watched them play by the trees. Or she would seat herself on the fountain and throw quarters in as if she were making wishes.

Meanwhile, the pink Mobian went deeper into the forest. She hoped the little boy hadn't run too far. But by every passing minute, her hope dwindled. She hopped over a small log. She went across a tiny creek that sparkled as if it held diamonds. The trees loomed over her like monsters trying to cave her in.

But Amy Rose didn't give up easily. On the trail, Amy found many things. Frogs leaped in her path and crickets sung songs for her. Crows cawed in the trees, but where, she did not know. Captured by the forest's beauty, the little girl was traveling farther into her own trap.

For behind her, with every step she took, branches moved, hedges formed, and streams became wider—all working together to block the child in the forest forever. Amy was too much enthralled by the forest. She turned once to gasp and halt in her steps.

"What?"

The path was still there, but a glowing light of blue made its existence known. Amy blinked in fascination. She'd never seen anything like it before.

A child's laughter was heard from the light. Amy took one step closer and the light vanished.

"Wait!" Amy hollered after the disappearing light. But nothing came back into her view.

She hummed and twisted around to find the light there again, formed like an upside down raindrop. The child's laugh was heard again.

Amy tilted her head. "Who are you?"

"Play!" echoes of a child's voice were heard and then, suddenly, the light started to move along the path and away from Amy.

"Wait up!" Amy called after the light and soon followed it into a marsh land.

"Follow!" another echo came about.

"Follow you where?" Amy questioned. "Who are you?"

It was then that the light hovered over a small log sticking out from the marsh's water. The light transformed into a ghostly hedgehog. His fur was as black as night and his eyes were as red as blood.

Amy gasped. It was the boy from before.

His little fangs shined while his form became pale and he morphed into the light ball again. "Play!"

"I must get home," Amy stated and shook her head.

The light went back to the hedgehog, only this time, he was glaring at her darkly. "No! You must play with me!"

"Who are you?" she nestled down on the soft grass beside the marsh.

"I'm Shadow," the boy said. "My family abandoned me on a trail ride to England. Too many mouths to feed is what my brother said. They used to tease me, my siblings, for being the smallest…"

Amy frowned. "I'm dearly sorry…but I must go."

"No!" he hissed as he balanced on the log. "You cannot! You are bound to play with me forever!"

"What?" the little girl stumbled back as she tried to stand up. "I can't! Why do you need someone to play with in the first place?"

Shadow's eyes narrowed. "My siblings tricked me…they wanted to play hide-and-seek in the forest…our parents warned us not to go too far…I was the youngest and I chose to hide in a bush with berries. When hours passed…I came out and called for my siblings, but no one came…So, I figured that they were still trying to find me…I stayed put…"

"Oh?" Amy questioned and walked closer to his ghostly form.

"Night soon came and I was hungry…So, I ate the berries and slept…Only to awaken in this forest still. My family had not found me. So, I found my way out of the forest and saw that the tracks of the wagons were long gone. They left me! They didn't even search for me!"

"But…Why didn't you leave the forest instead of dying here?" Amy asked, for it was obvious to her that he was a will-o'-the-wisp.

"I wish I could've…" Shadow whispered. "But I was already dead…"

Amy gasped and stumbled back again.

"Amy!"

She turned her head to the sound, "Mama? Mama! Papa!"

"Amy?!"

"Mama! I'm right here!" Amy called.

Shadow glared at her. "No! You cannot leave me! You must play with me for eternity or be doomed!"

The will-o'-the-wisp would guide someone to their fate—that was the myth Amy heard many times from her father. That is why Amy didn't dare budge—for if what Shadow said was true, then he _could_ doom her.

A wicked smile came upon the little boy's face. "Your parents won't be able to find you, anyway."

"NO!" Amy wailed and ran.

She pumped her legs hard and in vain as she searched for the exit of the forest. As rain started to patter on her head, and she could no longer hear her mother's calling, Amy wept and walked to a nearby tree. A bush circled around and she took refuge in it.

An object blocked her from entering any further to hide herself from the rain. Amy turned the object over and gasped.

Blank red eyes stared up at her. An unmoving body was in her grasp. She cradled the form of the little boy and cried. There was no escape from the forest or the boy…or her fate. Amy turned her gaze to the bush and as a matter of fact, there were berries, ripe for the picking.

But even Amy sensed the berries weren't edible. They carried a strange smell with them—a poisonous one. With shaky hands, the little girl reached out and took a handful from the stems. Tears swelled in her eyes as she popped them in her mouth, one by one. She chewed slowly and dreadfully.

Blackness started to cave in on her. So, she accepted what was to come and curled herself up the little boy's body like they had been siblings or best friends forever and just went under the bush for a nap. Hours passed into morning before a light came from her body and she formed into a will-o'-the-wisp herself. Her light traveled far from her body and out of the forest.

She formed into her natural form, only this time, with the ghostly pale light that Shadow contained, as well. There, her brothers were busy playing by the fountain while her mother was rocking back in forth on the rocking chair, quilting. Her father was sitting on the fountain and watching the boys play.

They had never called for her. It was merely her imagination. The forest had sucked her in like it had Shadow. His siblings were wise enough to sense something and stay away. But by the time they got halfway to the ferry that would take them to England; it was too late to turn around for Shadow. They had forgotten about him. The rest of the trip was full of mourning.

As for the little girl, Amy…well, her family realized her to be gone. They searched and searched but could not find the little girl. Her family moved away after the search was canceled for good. And soon, by next fall, another family moved in.

Three young siblings all played together near the fountain while the mother sat on the same rocking chair of the house next to the forest.

Amy sat on a rock just outside the forest. She watched the blue hedgehog named Sonic run about with his sister and brother. A sudden presence made her aware of her surroundings and she soon took notice of Shadow sitting beside her.

"Hey!"

They turned their heads to the children. Sonic motioned them over, merely thinking they were regular kids and not that of the dead. Amy shook her head and followed Shadow into the forest.

Sonic only shrugged and went back to playing with his siblings…"

"Grandpa! How do you know about this story?" a small, magenta hedgehog called out among her two other siblings while lying in bed.

A green hedgehog chuckled in his old, wooden seat. "Well…Everyone of this country knows about the myth of the two children. They play together for all eternity now."

"Is it just those two?" a little boy, with his front tooth missing, leaned forward to question his grandfather.

"Some say they warded off other children to let them live…others say that kids were still too curious of the two and vanished with them."

"What do you think, Grandpa?" the same magenta hedgehog inquired with a tilted head.

The green hedgehog sighed and looked over at a picture by the fire. In the picture was a younger version of himself, his sister, and his brother.

"The myth is that the forest sucks in children," the green hedgehog answered without breaking eye contact with the picture. "…Your Great Uncle was the next one to leave and become a will-o'-the-wisp…for he was never seen again when he ran into the forest…"

In the picture, a blue hedgehog that contained the last of his youthful life smiled for the photo. His brother stared intently at the old picture while his ears must've been playing tricks on him again.

A child's laugh echoed in his ears.

_The End_

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_I hope you all enjoyed that! I did! I might even write some more myths…it was fun! _

_Arrivederci!_


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